Device for pneumatic or hydraulic readout and storage of information from perforated information carriers



Aug. 12, 1969 K. MAURER 3,461,279

DEVICE FOR PNEUMATIC OR HYDRAULIC READOUT AND STORAGE OF INFORMATIONFROM PERFORATED INFORMATION CARRIERS Filed Oct. 15, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheetl A f r f 57' 52 57 5 54 2 .52 54 e2 J5 60 56 3% 48 u U u u 46 30 U U a38 U U 3 3 1o 23 34 22 v 26 24 T 33 a2 22 57 61 as I 58 so 52 so .54 5256 62 4e U 54 U U 46 50 U P P U 3a 5 328 2 U U \J 34 //V//%V///J///// 23Fig. 3.

INVENTOR:

Aug. 12, 1969 K. MAURER 3,461,279

DEVICE FOR PNEUMATIC OR HYDRAULIC READOUT AND STORAGE OF INFORMATIONFROM PERFDRATED INFORMATION CARRIERS Filed Oct. 15, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet2 EXHAUST 5 or A/R 9 PRHSURE 11v VEN TOR:

United States Patent rm. c1. GllGk 7/02 US. Cl. 235-6111 13 ClaimsABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE A fluid readout and storage device has acavity within which there is a floating body in the form of a ball. Ateach end of the cavity are valve seats surrounding end openings, whilecentrally located in the cavity is a lateral opening. Air is blownthrough perforations in a tape or card, which perforations register withthe cavity lower end opening through a check valve which air passes outthe lateral opening to raise the floating body above the lower seat.Thereafter air under pressure is introduced into the lateral opening,closing the check valve and holding the floating body against the upperseat. At stations where there are no perforations in the tape thefloating body remains on its lower seat. The position of the floatingbodies thus stores the information as to where there were perforationsin the tape and where there were not. This stored up information is readout electrically by the floating body bridging electrical contacts atthe seats.

The present invention relates to a device for pneumatic or hydraulicstorage of information from perforated information carriers such asperforated tape or punched cards, wherein a fluid flow is eitherinterrupted by the information carrier (if there is no hole in thecarrier at the respective location) or is released by a hole in theinformation carrier. In the prior art arrangements the pressure of thefluid downstream or upstream of the information carrier is utilized as acriterion for the presence or absence of a hole in the informationcarrier. If, for instance, a channel carrying the air current (andformed with a throttle) is covered by the information carrier thepressure will be high since the air finds it hard to leave. If, however,there is a hole provided at the observed spot of the informationcarrier, then in that instance air is free to escape. The pressure dropoccurs at said throttle and the pressure in the channel downstream ofthe throttle decreases substantially to atmospheric pressure. However,this state is maintained only for the time that the information carrierhas an opening at the observed spot. To store the information, apneumatic electric transducer must be provided and the electric signalobtained therefrom must be stored electrically, for instance, in aflip-flop. The prior art arrangement requires a relatively large amountof apparatus.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide anarrangement for readout and storage of information from a perforatedinformation carrier, which is simple in design and wherein aninformation is not only readout but also stored by means of a fluid.According to the invention this object is attained by providing afloating body movable between two opposed valve seats between whichfluid can optionally be supplied or discharged through one or severallateral openings. The floating body is either raised above the lateralopening by the fluid flow controlled by the information carrier orcontacts the lower valve seat.

Thus, it is not the pressure upstream of the information carrier that isutilized as output quantity, but rather the "ice position of a floatingbody. If the fluid flow does not apply a dynamic pressure on thefloating body, the floating body bears against the lower valve seat.Upon readout the lateral openings connect to low pressure. If there is afluid flow to the floating body, this will raise the floating body andpermit the fluid to flow to the lateral opening for dis charge.Subsequently, the arrangement may be changed over to storing by nowsupplying higher pressure through the lateral opening.

If there were no hole in the information carrier, the floating bodywould remain on its lower valve seat during the preceding readout actionand the fluid supplied through the lateral opening will not effect anychange. However, if the floating body had been raised from the valveseat into a position above said lateral opening, then the pressure urgesthe floating body upwardly against the upper valve seat. The floatingbody will remain in such position as long as the storing pressurecontinues from said lateral openings.

The control of the fluid flow by the information carrier may be arrangedso that the floating body is downstream of the information carrier inpath of fluid flow. In such case the fluid flow will be released and thefloating body he raised when there is a hole in the information carrierat the spot scanned. However, it is also possible that the fluid flow issupplied between the information carrier positioned in front of anoutlet opening and the floating body. In such case the fluid flowdischarges outwardly into the atmosphere when there is a hole present inthe information carrier. There will be no pressure exerted on thefloating body so that the latter bears against its lower valve seat.With such an arrangement the floating body will be raised when theinformation carrier has no hole and covers the outlet opening.

Provision may be made for the valve seats to form electrical contactswith the circuit therebetween being closed by the floating body.Thereby, a stored electric output is also obtained without furtherflip-flops or the like.

It is expedient to have a relief valve arranged upstream of the floatingbody. This relief valve will also be raised by the fluid flow if thereis a hole present in the information carrier. Durin ginformationstorage, when the floating body is urged upon the upper valve seat, therelief valve is forced onto its seat, thereby preventing an escape ofthe storage pressure in a direction towards the information carrier.Therefore, it is possible to operate with relatively small fluidquantities for storage and still safely maintain the floating body onits upper valve seat.

Embodiments of the invention may provide for parallel readout andstorage of a plurality of information several channels with floatingbodies and openings for optional fluid supply or discharge positionedside by side and/or one behind the other. This does not represent anysubstantial amount of apparatus. One specific address may be associatedwith each interrogation channel so that an additional transfer of anaddress-in the form of punched information-may be avoided for each itemof information actually to be processed.

An embodiment of the invention is presented in the drawings anddescribed as follows:

FIG. 1 illustrates a section through a device according to the inventionwith a perforated tape in the state of readout.

FIG. 2 illustrates the same device in the state of stormg.

FIG. 3 is a section at line 33 of FIG. 1 showing the valve seats and theelectric contacts utilized with the arrangement of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 illustrates a further embodied form of the invention.

FIG. 5 schematically illustrates an air supply system.

FIGURES l and 2 illustrate a portion of an apparatus for simultaneously,and in parallel, reading out five bits of information from a perforatedtape 10. Thus there are five readout channels, or scanning spotsidentified by letters A, B, C, D and E. In the illustrated embodimentthe tape has openings 22 at scanning spots B, D and E. There are noholes in the tape at scanning spots A and C.

A bottom plate 23 has a fluid inlet 24 through which fluid underpressure is supplied to a groove or channel 26. The portion of tape 10in which the openings 22 appear (or are absent) overlies groove 26.Above the perforated tape is a plate 28 having a cavity 30 for eachscanning spot. Each of these cavities has an opening 32 extendingthrough the bottom of plate 28 in alignment with the respective scanningspot. The bottom of the cavities 30 are conical forming valve seats 33.These valve seats, in conjunction with balls 34 form relief valves.

A plate 36 is mounted on plate 28. Plate 36 has a relatively narrow bore38 at each scanning spot in communication with cavity 30. Plate .36 isformed in the manner of a printed circuit, as best seen in FIG. 3. Atopposite sides of holes 38 are contacts 40 and 42 having connectingleads 44.

Mounted on plate 36 is a second thick plate 46 having cavities 48 incommunication with the respective bores 38. Each of these upper cavitieshas a flat annular groove 50 thereabout, which groove communicates witha respective pressure inlet or outlet channel 54 through a lateralopening 52. A top plate 56 abuts plate 46 with openings 57 incommunication with cavities 48. The bottom face of plate 56 is formed(like the top face of plate 36) in the manner of a printed circuit withpairs of electrical contacts 58 and 60. In each of cavities 48 arefloating bodies formed by balls 62.

During a readout operation channels 54 communicate with low, e.g.atmospheric, pressure through control means comprising conduit 53 andtwo-way valve 55 (FIG. 5). As previously stated, fluid under pressure issupplied to inlet 24.

At the channels or spots at which there is no opening 22 in tape 10, thelower balls 34 remain on their respective seats 33. Thus in thearrangement illustrated in FIG. 1, balls 34 of channels A and C are ontheir seats. At the same time the corresponding upper balls 62 ofchannels A and C remain in the lower position closing an electricalcircuit between contacts 38 and 42. If a storing operation now is to beperformed, air under pressure is supplied to channels 54 from source 59through valve 55 and conduit 53 (FIG. 5). This air under pressureescapes through the upper openings 57 of channels A and C, asillustrated in FIG. 2. Since balls 62 form electrical circuits betweencontacts 38 and 42 an electrical readout of this situation in channels Aand C may be made.

At those channels at which there are openings 22 in tape 10, thepressure initially applied through inlet 24 forces balls 34 off of theirlower seats 33. As is illustrated in channels B, D and E of FIG. 1, thissame air flow raises balls 62 ofi of plate 36- and upwardly in therespective cavities 48 to a position at which the balls clear channel54. Now when fluid under pressure is supplied to channels 54 in thestoring operation, this fluid has two effects; (1) balls 34 in channelsB, D and E are forced downwardly onto their seats 33, and ('2) balls 62in the same channels are forced upwardly over openings 57 in plate 56.So long as pressure is maintained in channels 54 the balls will remainin this position. The balls bearing against plate 56 bridge electricalcontacts 58 and 60 of the respective channel to form an electricalcircuit.

The situation during such a storing operation is illustrated in FIG. 2.The bridging of the upper contacts 58 and 60 at channels B, D and Eindicate the existence of openings 22 in tape 10 at the respectivescanning spots. The bridging of contacts 38 and 42 at channels A and Cproduce electrical signals indicating that no perforations exist in tape10 at the respective scanning spots. These electrical signals may beread into the memory of a data processing machine, for example.

During storing by the feed of the information carrier the next readoutaction may be expediently prepared, thereby enabling a particularlyquick readout.

FIG. 4 likewise illustrates a five channel device for simultaneousreadout and storage of five information bits from a tape 78. In thisembodiment the channels are designated F, G, H, I and J respectively. Asillustrated, there are openings 74 and '76 in tape 78 at the scanningspots defined by channels F and H respectively. There are no holes atthe scanning spots defined by channels G, I and 1.

Tape 78 is carried between two plates 80 and 82. At the scanning spots,plate 80 has bores 84 communicating with atmosphere. Opposite bores 84are bores 86 in plate 82 which open into cavities 88. At the juncture ofbores 86 and cavities 88 there are flared walls forming valve seats 87.

Lateral openings 92 communicate respectively with bores 86 and pressurechannels 94.

Plate 96 abuts plate 82. Plate 96 has a plurality of bores 98 incommunication with cavities 88. Plate 100 has cavities 102 incommunication with bores 98. Balls 104, forming floating bodies, arereceived in cavities 102. A plate 105 having small bores 186 is mountedon plate 100. Plates 96 and 105 form two superposed valve seats forballs 104.

During a readout operation, fluid under pressure is supplied to pressurechannels 94, while bores 84 are open to atmosphere. At the channels atwhich are positioned openings in tape 78 this fluid flows freely fromthe pressure channel to atmosphere, as is illustrated with respect tochannels F and H in FIG. 4. Thus balls 90 and 104 of channels F and Hremain on their lower seats. At 10- cations where tape 78 does not haveopenings, the fluid under pressure flows upward through the two cavities88 and 102. This flow of fluid raises balls 90 and 104, as isillustrated with respect to channels G, I and I.

To perform a storing operation, fluid under a higher pressure issupplied to channels 110. This higher pressure fluid forces balls 104 ofchannels G, I and I upwardly against their upper seats formed by plate105. Thus in the storing operation balls 104 will be on the seatsdefined by plate 96 at channels at which there is an opening in tape 78(channels F and H), while the balls 104 will be on the seats defined byplate 105 at channels at which there is no opening in tape 78 (channelsG, I and 1). Whether the ball 104 is against its upper seat or againstits lower seat may be determined by electrical circuits formed throughthe balls and through the electrical contacts in plates 96 and 105 inthe manner described in respect to FIGS. l-3.

The invention claimed is as follows:

1. In a device for the fluid readout and storage of information from acoded perforated information carrier wherein a first fluid flow isrendered effective or noneffective under the control of the informationcarrier, the improvement comprising: body means having a cavity withopposed openings, said body means defining valve seats about saidopenings, said body means having lateral opening means in said cavitybetween said seats through which fluid can be optionally supplied to anddischarged from said cavity; a floating body in said cavity and movablebetween the opposed seats; and means communicating with said first fluidflow and a first of said seats for positioning said floating bodygenerally between said lateral opening means and one of said seats whensaid first fluid flow is effective and said fluid is discharged fromsaid lateral opening means and generally between said lateral openingand the other of said seats when said first fluid flow is noneffectivewhereby when fluid is then supplied to said lateral opening means saidbody means between said lateral opening means and said one of said seatswill be moved against the one of said seats and said body means betweensaid lateral opening means and said other of said seats will be movedagainst said other of said seats.

2. In a device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the communicating meansreceives said first fluid flow after passing through said carrier anddirects it into said cavity.

3. In a device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the communicating meansreceives said first fluid flow blocked off by said carrier and directsit into said cavity.

4. In a device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said communicating meansincludes a check valve through which said first fluid flow passes inreaching said cavity.

5. In a device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the body means forms apair of electrical contacts at each of said seats respectively, and anelectrical circuit is made across the pair at one seat when the floatingbody is at the one seat and across the pair at the other seat when thefloating body is at the other seat.

6. In a device as set forth in claim 5, wherein said body means isformed of a plurality of plates with two of said plates defining saidopposed openings and seats, said two plates having said contacts thereinin the form of printed circuits, said floating body being a conductor ofelectricity.

7. In a device as set forth in claim 6, wherein another of said platesis in juxtaposition to one of said two plates, said third plate having afirst opening communicating with said cavity and a second opening incommunication with said carrier at the point at which the information iscoded with said information carrier, and including a check valve betweensaid first and second openings in said third plate to normally preventfluid flow from said cavity out of said second opening.

8. In a device as set forth in claim 7, wherein fluid under pressure issupplied to said second opening between said carrier and said checkvalve to form said first fluid flow.

9. In a device as set forth in claim 7, wherein fluid under pressure issupplied through said information carrier to said second opening to formsaid first fluid flow.

10. In a device for fluid readout and storage of information from acoded perforated information carrier wherein a first fluid flow isrendered effective or noneifective under the control of the informationcarrier and for use with a source of fluid under pressure, theimprovement comprising:

a body having a cavity with openings at opposite ends of the cavity anda lateral opening communicating with the cavity intermediate said endsthereof, said body defining a valve seat about each of said endopenings;

floating body means in said cavity and normally positioned injuxtaposition to a first of said seats While being movable through saidcavity into a position in juxtaposition to a second of said seats, saidfloating body means being of a size to obstruct fluid flow through saidfirst seat when in juxtaposition thereto and to obstruct fluid flowthrough said second seat when in juxtaposition thereto;

control means communicating with said lateral opening for placing italternatively in communication with exhaust and with said source offluid under pressure, whereby when said floating body means is in saidnormal position and fluid under pressure is applied to said lateralopening from said source said floating body means will be forced againstsaid first seat and when said floating body means is positionedgenerally between said lateral opening and said second seat and fluidunder pressure is applied to said lateral opening from said source saidfloating body means will be forced against said second seat; and

means communicating with said first fluid flow and said first seat forpositioning, when said control means is set to communicate said lateralopening with exhaust, said floating body means into said positiongenerally between said lateral opening and said second seat when saidfirst fluid flow is effective.

11. In a device as set forth in claim 10, wherein said body ispositioned so that said first seat is at the bottom of the cavity andsaid second seat is at the top of the cavity.

12. In a device as set forth in claim 11, wherein the last mentionedmeans includes a check valve upstream, with respect to said first fluidflow, of said first seat, said check valve being arranged to permitfluid flow therethrough in the direction of from it towards said firstseat and to block fluid flow from the first seat towards the checkvalve.

13. In a device as set forth in claim 12, including means at each ofsaid seats forming a pair of electrical contacts at each seat, said pairof contacts being positioned to be contacted by said floating body meanswhen it is against the respective seat, said floating body means being aconductor of electricity.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,226,530 12/1965 Greenblott etal. 235 6l.ll 3,348,772 10/1967 Chabrier et al. 235-201 MAYNARD R.WILBUR, Primary Examiner T. J. SLOYAN, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R.235'201

